Meb and Shalane Talk New York City Goals and Chicago Results

As Meb Keflezighi charges through the final 26 days of training in his professional running career, he is finding the experience in preparing for the 2017 New York City Marathon bittersweet.

Although training is going well, his body is ready for it to be over. And although he’s eager to return to New York—where he ran his first marathon in 2002 and vowed never to do another one after it was over—he is also ready to let go when he reaches the end of his 26th race of 26.2 miles.

“I’m healthy, which is a big battle,” he said, during a press teleconference on Tuesday, adding, “I’m excited but at the same time it’s going to be very emotional throughout the course.”

Keflezighi, 41, who won New York in 2009, is closing his competitive career on November 5 at the famed finish line in Central Park. His accolades include an Olympic marathon silver medal from the Athens Games and the 2014 Boston Marathon victory.

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Joining him next month is Shalane Flanagan, 36, who debuted at the distance at the 2010 New York City Marathon and came in second that day, the best finish by an American woman in 20 years. She calls that performance the best of her career—and the two women who joined her on the podium that day, Edna Kiplagat and Mary Keitany, are also returning this year.

“That race confirmed to me my self belief that I could become a great marathoner,” she said. “I’ve worked really hard the last seven years to try to elevate American marathoning and follow in the footsteps of Meb and Deena [Kastor]. It’s an honor to be back, facing some of the same tough competition.”

The two American distance legends also took the opportunity, when asked, to comment on the historic performances of the two top Americans on Sunday at the Chicago Marathon.

Galen Rupp, 31, became the first American man to win Chicago in 15 years. His Oregon Project teammate Jordan Hasay, 26, came in third in the women’s race, clocking a 2:20:57, which is the second-fastest marathon in history for American women. It was Hasay’s second 26.2-mile race. Her first was the 2017 Boston Marathon, where she was third in 2:23:00, the fastest American women’s debut ever.

Flanagan and Keflezighi said on Tuesday that they watched the race, but they each viewed the results within the context that the Oregon Project and its head coach, Alberto Salazar, have been under a U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) investigation for two years.

“Obviously I’m happy for Galen and Alberto but there’s a lot of things that are still going on so it’s hard to comprehend,” Keflezighi said. “I’m glad that he won and I know [Jordan] ran well also…so for her it’s amazing on her second marathon. They achieved a lot.”

The investigation into the Oregon Project centers on the alleged use of prescription medications and supplemental injections by athletes at the direction of Salazar, for the purpose of enhancing athletic performance.

“As a fan of my own sport it’s hard to have full excitement and faith when you don’t know all the facts yet,” Flanagan said. “There’s still an investigation going on, so it’s hard to truly and genuinely get excited about the performances that I’m watching.”

“We certainly get to choose our friends and our coaches and who we want to include in our circle and put our faith and our trust in,” Flanagan said. “And I think that who you choose to allow in says a lot about you. And that’s where I stand.”

“When you know you’ve done it the right way, you have nothing to worry about,” Rupp said during an interview with Runner’s World last week. “Let the process play out. I have total faith that the whole truth will come out.”

As for the marathon before them, Keflezighi said New York is not just a victory lap for him—he wants to be as competitive as he can in the elite field. And Flanagan is hoping for another podium performance.

“I am 36, but what’s amazing is for some reason I have felt over the last two years no decline yet, no decay in my speed or endurance,” she said. “On paper I’m facing a really tough challenge on November 5th, but it’s a huge honor and such a great opportunity to try to beat these women, because it means that much more when you face that kind of competition.”

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